Paintball

ABSTRACT

An improved paintball comprised of a spherical shell defining a closed interior wherein a marking material is contained. Depressions are molded into the shell to create turbulences in the air around the ball as it flies through the air. The turbulence forces the air to hug the ball closely, following the curvature of the ball to the back instead of flowing past it, therefore creating a smaller wake and less drag. The depressions are formed deep into the interior of the paintball to act as paddles. The paddles serve the purpose of moving the marking material to match the spin of the shell.

REFERENCES CITED

U.S. Patent Document 5639526 June, 1997 Kotsiopoulos, et al. U.S. Patent Document 5393054 February, 1997 Rouffer U.S. Patent Document 6145441 November, 2000 Woodall, et al. U.S. Patent Document 5254379 October, 1993 Kotsiopoulos, et al.

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FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to frangible payload dispensing projectiles commonly referred to as paintballs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Paintballs are used in an activity in which two or more teams of players are armed with gas powered paintball guns. Paintballs are fired out of the said guns to mark or “kill” members of the opposing team in order to achieve a goal.

Traditionally, paintballs are manufactured using a gelatinous shell comprised of two hemispherical halves and a liquid dye. The two halves from a closed interior cavity for the dye to fill when joined along their edges.

This gelatinous shell has smooth exterior and interior surfaces. The smooth exterior surface of the paintball leaves a pocket of low-pressure air in its wake as it flies through the air, thereby creating drag, which slows it down and reduces its range.

When fired out of a rifled barrel, the smooth interior surface of the paintball causes the center, or liquid dye, to remain still while the shell may spin. A rifled barrel incorporates two or more helical grooves in its bore which impart a spin upon a projectile as it travels down the barrel. The consequent gyroscopic stability allows for much greater accuracy, and therefore, effective range, than would otherwise be unattainable through the use of a non-rifled barrel. The dye slows down the spin thus negating the gyroscopic stability

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an improved paintball that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

The present invention is a paintball with depressions molded in to create turbulences in the air around the ball as it flies through the air. The turbulence forces the air to hug the ball closely, following the curvature of the ball to the back instead of flowing past it, therefore creating a smaller wake and less drag.

The depressions also serve the purpose of moving the dye to match the spin of the shell. The depressions are formed deep into the interior of the paintball to act as paddles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of an improved paintball according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of an improved paintball according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an improved paintball from the right side showing both halves of the sphere.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an improved paintball from the left side showing both halves of the sphere.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an improved paintball according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of an embodiment of an improved paintball according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With respect to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, one embodiment of an improved paintball consists of two halves 11 and 12 that when joined, form a closed interior area. The closed interior area is filled with a material, and in one embodiment of an improved paintball the fill is a liquid dye.

FIG. 1 shows an improved paint ball to have a spherical shape made up of two halves 10 and 11 joined at their respective openings to form a closed interior area.

FIG. 3 shows the general form of the depression 12 when molded into the improved paintball. The depression 12 will extend into the interior cavity of the improved paintball to act as paddles to move the dye with the rotation of the shell. The resulting valley wraps itself around the sphere creating areas of empty space to destabilize the air flowing over it. 

1. An improved paintball comprised of a spherical shell defining a closed interior having a depression molded into the shell that follows a path on a surface of the sphere such that the resulting trough extends into the interior of the shell, thickness of the shell shall be insufficient to withstand impact forces delivered thereto upon contact when fired at a target, and a marking material contained within said closed interior.
 2. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein said depression is U shaped.
 3. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein said spherical shell is made with a biodegradable material.
 4. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein said marking material is a dye.
 5. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein said path is a continuous loop.
 6. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein said path is broken.
 7. An improved paintball as in claim 1 wherein there is a plurality of said paths. 